Unadilla Township honors K-9 Koa’s supporters
by Mary Jo David
Supporters of the Unadilla Township Police K-9 program were honored at the Nov. 14 Unadilla Township Board meeting for their commitment to and support of K-9 Koa and Koa’s handler and partner, Officer Bill Carr.
Koa is a Belgian Malinois certified in narcotics detection, tracking, article search, and more.
Honorees included Whitney Casterline, Janet Duff, and Sue Kazusky. Each K-9 Koa supporter honored at the meeting received an appreciation plaque from the township.
Casterline, of Paws Perfect Grooming Salon of Gregory, has donated nail and grooming services for Koa and helps fundraising efforts for the K-9 team by selling Koa T-shirts at her business.
Duff has made several significant financial contributions to help fund equipment, training, dog food, and treats.
Kazusky helps organize K-9 demonstrations and presentations at annual DogFest events held at Arise Church Community Dog Park in Pinckney. A talented artist, this fall Kazusky presented the UTPD with a beautiful portrait of Koa. She also donates proceeds from her pet portraits to UTPD’s K-9 program. You can find Kazusky’s work on Facebook at PetPortraitsCreatedBySue/
SCN featured a full story about Koa in the September 2021 edition of the newspaper. (Go to stockbridgecommunitynews.com and type “k-9 koa” in the Search box.)
Photos by Gary Hicks
Township trustee Lori Cowan looks on as Officer Bill Carr shares his appreciation for support the community has shown for the Unadilla Township Police K-9 Program.
Chief David Russell shows his appreciation for the drawing of Koa that Sue Kazusky previously presented to the Unadilla Township Police Department.
Volunteer Sue Kazusky receives her plaque from Chief David Russell.
Volunteer Janet Duff receives her plaque from Chief David Russell.
Whitney Casterline, of Paws Perfect Grooming Salon of Gregory, receives her plaque from Chief David Russell.
Left to right: Unadilla Township Police Chief David Russell with honorees Whitney Casterline, Janet Duff, and Sue Kazuski, as well as Officer Bill Carr and K-9 Koa.
